Redstone Township bank robbery suspect arrested after chase
A Denbo man who allegedly robbed First National Bank in Redstone Township was arrested after crashing his mother’s car during a state police pursuit.
George Joseph Simon, 52, of 3 Simon Lane admitted he robbed the bank and said he bought drugs with some of the stolen money, according to court documents.
Police said Simon waited for the bank to open Friday and handed a bag and a note to a teller saying he had a gun and demanded she put cash in the bag. The note also claimed he had two hostages in a van outside. He then allegedly went to a second teller and made the same demands, police wrote in court documents.
The vehicle was traced to his mother’s address, where police found him shortly after the robbery. Police said he fled in the vehicle through Denbo and up State Route 88. He lost control of the vehicle while attempting to turn left onto the on-ramp for Route 43 north and hit a curb, causing disabling damage to the vehicle, according to court documents.
During the chase, state police said he reached speeds of 76 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. Police said they saw him throw a package out of the window containing a white powdery substance. Police also found a package labeled “Suboxone.” He also allegedly brandished a large knife from the window, court documents said.
He is charged with two counts each of robbery, possession of a controlled substance and terroristic threats and one count each of theft, resisiting arrest and fleeing or attempting to elude officers.
On-call Magisterial District Judge Jennifer Jeffries arraigned Simon and set his bail at $50,000. He is lodged in Fayette County Prison in lieu of bond.